Students who are currently pursuing PhD locally and abroad under the sponsorship of the Higher Education Ministry will be given the flexibility to extend the duration of their studies.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the move was in line with the goal of enhancing the people-friendly government delivery system aside from the practice “People First, Performance Now”.

However, he said the prescribed extension period should not be regarded as automatic as it was based on merit, and consideration of the student’s plight as well as support and endorsement from the university.

“For students at higher learning institutions in the United States, the duration of the PhD study is 48 months. A first-time extension with Partial Scholarship (tuition fee only) can be considered for another six months.

“For students who are serving officers, if they failed to complete their studies within the period, the final extension of six months may be considered Without Scholarship and Without Salary. For other students, no last extension would be allowed,” he said in a statement last night.

Idris said for students in United Kingdom, whose PhD study duration was 36 months, their first and second extension for three months respectively with Full Scholarship could be considered.

“If students still failed to complete their studies during the period, the third extension with Partial Scholarship (tuition fees only) can be considered for another three months.

“For students who are serving officers, the final extension for another three months can be considered Without Scholarship and Without Salary. For other students, no last extension would be allowed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education ministry has ordered 33 colleges shut this year for falling below standards.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said this was to ensure the quality of education provided would not be jeopardised

The colleges were ordered close for failing comply with requirements set by the ministry which monitors the institutions throught its Malaysian Quality Evaluation System for Private Colleges or MyQUEST.

Between 2012 and 2016, a total of 46 colleges were also ordered closed by the ministry, he said.

Idris said the ministry is also looking into re-evaluating and improving rating exercises under MyQUEST to continue enhancing the quality of private colleges.

MyQUEST evaluation ia conducted twice a year, and is made up of three categories namely quality, course cluster and international students services.

Idris said the ministry would in the future be more in control of regulating private higher education institutes via the newly-amended Private Higher Education Act (Act 555).

The act which came into force on Nov 27, makes it compulsory for private colleges to provide information and data to the ministry for purposes of coordination.

“Before this, they were not obliged to do so (provide information).

“With the act, we are more transparent as we know how many students they have, where their students are from, the number of lecturers they have, the number of classrooms, equipment and the works.”

The enforcement of the act is expected to improve the quality of private higher education institutes as well as rate them through a performance-based regulation. ■